Parenteral Iron replacement

We have an updated pre-printed Iron Sucrose order form (MR306)....please see attachment.


Prior to ordering Iron Sucrose, all providers are highly

encouraged to contact our pharmacist, Maya Leiva (925-370-5200 x4877/pager 172), for the proper dose and/or clinical guidelines.

Dosing calculations are provided on the form.

Once the Provider has filled out the order form, it needs to be faxed to Infusion Clinic @ 925-370-5715 and to pharmacy @ 925-370-5345. Please provide a

phone # where provider can be reached in case of any questions, and call Infusion 925-370-5774 to let us know you have faxed an order to us. We will not

be able to make appointments for patients who are not financially cleared, so please check the patient's financial status before sending the order.

Prenatal patients requiring Iron Sucrose need to be referred to Antepartum @ 925-370-5950.


Oral iron is the preferred route for most patients who are iron deficient. Oral ferrous gluconate is often tolerable in patients who cannot tolerate oral ferrous sulfate, due to GI side effects. For patients who have failed multiple attempts at oral iron repletion, intravenous iron is an option. CCHS added iron sucrose (Venofer) to the CCRMC formulary in 2009. Infusion clinic has been using iron sucrose since then. IV administration is preferred over IM as IM administration of iron is painful, has slower absorption and effect than IV iron, and has not been shown to be safer than IV administration. Full replacement doses of IV ferrous sucrose can be given as a higher dose of elemental iron per treatment than IM iron administration, resulting in many fewer sessions for the patient, which is more convenient and repletes the iron deficit faster. IM iron requires a "Z-track" technique to prevent the risk of permanent tattooing of the skin. For these reasons, IM dextran preparations are no longer stocked at CCRMC health centers

UpToDate recommends against iron dextran: "High molecular weight and low molecular weight iron dextran preparations have the first and second highest incidences, respectively, of adverse reactions, including life-threatening adverse drug events, among the available IV preparations. Accordingly, we suggest that iron dextran preparations not be used for the parenteral treatment of iron deficiency (Grade 2C). Otherwise, there is insufficient evidence for the superiority of one non-dextran- containing parenteral iron preparation over another."